Tutus Terra
by thefanficwriter
Summary: Blind Mag finally decides to quit her job at GeneCo when she is introduced to a ghost from her past. Meanwhile, Nathan finally comes to his senses and flees the city with Shilo, taking Mag along with them.
1. I Must Go

**A/N: **Hey everyone, Yuumi here. This is my first Repo! fic as you may know so I hope you tell me what you think of it when you read it (if there's anything I should change, add, etc.). In this fanfic, Mag meets Shilo before she tells Rotti she's quitting GeneCo. I was going to do it the other way as it was in the film, but knowing her character she'd probably rather stay and die with dignity rather than run away from it. I don't know if I'm going to pair up Mag and Nathan in the future chapters yet. I mean, I can see that happening and I support the pairing, but I'm not sure whether I should do it or not. I mean, in fics where two adults accompanied by a daughter/son of one of the adults usually end up with them falling in love, and next thing you know, marriage! It's quite trite, if you ask me but if you want me to do it I will. I don't think I'd mind doing that in Mag and Nathan's case. Oh, and by the way, I don't own REPO! The Genetic Opera. You already know that, but you know...I'm kinda supposed to say it. Well, enjoy! :D

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><p><strong>I. I Must Go<strong>

The day she chose to see – the day she chose to sign the contract with GeneCo – she signed her life away. It was the perfect trade, eyesight for the price of her voice. She didn't have to worry about paying for the corneas; her service to the company was the payment for it. She didn't have to worry about any repo men coming after her. As long as she stayed loyal and faithful to GeneCo, there was nothing for her to worry about. It was the perfect trade. It was her biggest mistake.

It was a foolish decision to sign that contract. She should have known of its consequences but her desire to see had clouded her judgment. In the eyes of many, Magdalene DeFoe had the perfect life. In reality, she was a slave. A slave, whose freedom will never be granted. A slave, whose freedom will never come. There was no way for her to break free; she's read that contract millions of times and found no loopholes.

Ending her life was the only way to attain freedom and if death was the only answer, then so be it. She will not protest, beg for her salvation, or run away when repo men come to claim her eyes. She won't was her purpose in this world anyway? Marni was gone and so was Shilo. Nathan rarely spoke to her anymore. She had nothing to live for. If her life was the price of freedom then so be it; she would tell him later exactly that. She would rather die than work for a corrupt bastard like Rotti Largo.

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This will be quick, she told herself as she watched the stranger directly across her.

Shilo Wallace wasn't supposed to go outside of her quarters. She had to keep herself locked in the confines of her house – often her room – because of her unknown blood condition. "It isn't safe," her father would always tell her. "It's too risky," he would always say.

"Blind Mag will be there..."

But how could she refuse? She had always wanted to meet the famed opera singer. All her life she'd only seen the woman on television, hoping to have a voice as great as hers. Of course because of her blood disease (her damn blood disease!), she never had an opportunity to see any of her performances live like other citizens of the city did. Now she had the chance to see Blind Mag. What harm could it do?

I'll be back before Dad gets home, Shilo told herself.

Heaving a sigh and casting another quick glance at the mausoleum, she gave the man a quick nod and the vehicle moved.

_This will be quick..._


	2. Ghosts

**A/N: **Thanks to those that alerted, favorited, and reviewed this story. Now I have one vote on yes for a pair! Thank yoouuuuu :D I'd love to hear more from you so please tell me what you think after you read this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

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><p><strong>II. Ghosts<strong>

While walking through the halls of the GeneCo building, Nathan Wallace couldn't help but notice two fellow repo men conversing in quite a suspicious manner. This wasn't the first time this happened either; in fact it was the fourth time in the past three weeks he heard and saw the same two men conversing in secret (or so they thought). He knew it wasn't his business, whatever these two men were talking about. It wasn't in his nature to meddle with other people's affairs. But recently he's been growing curious. He knew he shouldn't meddle, he knew he shouldn't get himself involved, but he _had _to know (surely they _had_ to be talking about something that may upset Rotti. Why else would they be doing this in secret?).

He decided to watch them from a short distance. Once one of the men left, he approached the other. He knew this man better than the former; he figured it would be better to ask him.

"Daniels," he started in a whisper so that none of the Genterns or other employees could hear. "What was that about?"

"What was what?" queried the man, his British accent softer than usual. By his tone of voice Nathan could tell he was obviously feigning innocence.

"_That_," he repeated, indicating the repo man that just left.

The man tersely cast a weary glance at their surroundings before speaking.

"It's Compton and his family," he finally said.

"Arthur Compton? You mean—"

"The one with the wife scheduled for repossession? Yeah, that's the one. He refused repossess his wife's heart on his own so he's getting discharged soon. The big man's already alerted all the others. Any time this week they'll be reclaiming GeneCo's property and killing Compton for his disservice," he explained. After a pause he continued, "I'm helping them escape."

"_What?_ How—what are you _thinking_? If Rotti finds out it's not just Compton's he'll be killing!"

"I've been in this business even before you got here, Wallace. So far I've never been caught," the man told him, his accent becoming thicker again (like the usual) as he spoke. "It's a risk I'm going to have to take in order to save Compton's family. Besides, I have no family of my own. What have I got to lose if he ever finds out?"

Nathan Wallace sighed. No one can ever escape Rotti Largo's cruelty. This man, Richard Daniels, was a good friend of his. He's already other friends in Rotti's hands. It was only a matter of time until Daniels gets caught. It might not be now and it might not be in the near future, but he was bound to get caught at any time.

It was only a matter of time...

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She couldn't believe her eyes. All these years she'd thought this young girl was dead. All these years she'd thought she lost everything, that she had nothing to live for. Yet here she was, standing right in front of her, eyes looking hopefully right at her as any other young girl would whenever one saw her.

_Shilo... _

Mag wondered how this was even possible. Why would Nathan lie to her? She knew him even before she met Marni. Their relationship was quite close; it was nothing compared to her friendship with Marni. Nathan and she, they were like siblings (perhaps it would've been something more had he not gone away to work for GeneCo after medical school and met Marni). How could he have done such a thing?

Before she even had a chance to speak, the voice on the intercom summoned her.

"Will the Voice of GeneCo please take the stage? Blind Mag to the stage," it called.

Perhaps some other time she would have an opportunity to speak with the girl. Right now she had other things to attend to.


	3. Memories

**A/N: **Thanks again for the reviews, you guys! They really help a lot. I'm glad you're liking the story so far; I hope you like this chapter also. And before I go completely, I apologize for not updating the past couple of days. Senior finals are in two and a half weeks, plus I still have a monologue to memorize, another one to create and memorize, a bunch of lines to memorize for a performance, powerpoints, essays, tests, and all that crap. I promise I'll update as soon as I can (that'll probably be in two or three days, depending on how busy I am). Well, enjoy!

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><p><strong>III. Memories<strong>

The price of her freedom was her life. She was GeneCo's slave, and her life was something she was more than willing to give if they so wished to take it from her. She detested Rotti Largo and his children. She detested GeneCo. If death was the only way to free herself from them, she would gladly take it herself.

For the past seventeen years, she had lived thinking that her goddaughter was dead. She had lived thinking that she had nothing to live for. All this time, she had been lied to—deceived by her own best friend whom she'd once considered a brother. Mag wondered what could have possessed him to do such a horrible thing. In their youth, never once had he told her a single lie. He had teased her, had joked around with her—but never had he ever lied to her._ Never_.

If she hadn't seen Shilo she would've told Rotti days ago of her plan to quit. She would've told him days ago that she would rather die than live another day working for him. But now that she's seen the girl, was her freedom worth anything at all at this point? Would she take her life for her own sake, or live to watch over the girl even from afar as she had promised Marni?

_No_—she couldn't bring herself to her own deathbed now. It would be a huge sacrifice to live another day knowing she'll remain a slave to the Largos and their corrupt, sinister ways. But if it meant keeping her promise to her best friend, she would be more than happy to oblige.

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While studying the new insect she had found earlier today at her balcony, Shilo heard a vehicle stop at the gate of her house. Knowing it wasn't her father she cautiously peeked out from her window and saw a limousine parked at her driveway. Only a few moments later she heard a woman's voice calling her name.

"Shilo? Is your name Shilo? Can I talk to you?" she asked.

She knew that voice from anywhere; she often heard it on television.

"Can you come down please, so we can speak?"

As the woman approached the doors closer she wondered what it was that Blind Mag wanted from her. She knew nothing of the woman (other than the fact that she was the famed Voice of GeneCo, that is); they had only seen each other once, and at that time they didn't even get a chance to talk to each other. Though she had a feeling that the singer probably meant no harm, her apprehension increased as she walked closer towards her.

"State your business," Shilo demanded.

"I'm your god-mom," she answered.

_Wait—_she had a _godmother_? Why hadn't her father informed her of this? The woman couldn't have been lying. Why would someone like Mag show up at her door and tell her all this for her own entertainment? The notion was implausible.

She knew she would get in trouble for this later if her father ever found out. She wasn't supposed to go outside, talk to strangers, or let anyone in the house. But she _had _to know what the woman had to say. Besides, what was the harm? Like Rotti had told her several days ago when they met, "who says that Dad needs to know everything?" As long as Mag leaves early enough for her to pretend that none of this had happened, she would be alright.

From her position on the stairs, she moved towards the doors and allowed her to enter her home. She led the woman upstairs and into her room, not wanting to risk getting caught just in case her father came home early. She seated herself on her bed while the latter settled herself on the piano seat.

"You remind me so much of her," Mag began, memories of her best friend revisiting her mind as she looked at the young girl across her. "I wish we would've met each other sooner."

"My mother...what was she like?" the curious teenager asked.

The soprano smiled.

"Oh, she was the kindest woman I've ever met. Loquacious and belligerent at times, but that's what everyone loved about her. I met her while I was in my first year of high school—your father had already gone away to college at the time—and she and I were both cast as the two leads in a major production at the city's theatre. I was the youngest in the group; most of them were ten or twelve years my senior. They all hated me. They said I didn't deserve the lead role. They would insult me and play mean jokes. She was different from them though; your mother would never let anyone step on her, or her friends." She paused to expel a small laugh and continued, "why, she even taught me to play a few tricks on the other troupe members whenever they tried messing with me."

Both Shilo and Mag laughed as the singer continued to speak of the crazy antics she used to commit with Marni. How they would always stay in the theatre after rehearsal hours and scare anyone who was still present, how they had sabotaged a whole rehearsal of a group of arrogant actors, making them think that the Phantom of the Opera was indeed real, how they would mix laxatives in the food of the other members—Shilo couldn't believe it! She didn't think someone as refined as Blind Mag would be capable of doing such things.

"As much as she was a great schemer, she was also an excellent performer. The way she would always convey emotions so naturally to bring her characters to life and the way her voice sounded so pure and strong as she sang? She was amazing, I tell you. I still remember wanting to be as good as her when I was young. You may not believe it, but even now I still wish I could be as great as her."

"You miss her too, don't you?"

"Oh, I do—I always do. Often, your father as well," Mag said, beginning to cast down to the floor as though no longer wanting to speak. She sighed for a moment, and then continued. "Your father and I knew each other long before I knew your mother. We were inseparable, he and I. He was like a brother to me. But after she died, he barely spoke to me anymore. Sometimes I wonder where the years have gone. We were all foolish, the three of us."

"What do you mean?"

"Your mother, she was foolish when it came to love. We all were. Your mother was in a relationship with Rotti Largo at the time. He was a decent man but no one would ever dare to anger him. As for your father, he met your mother while working for Rotti. Since the day they saw each other Rotti and your mother started arguing often, eventually leading to the end of their relationship. I was happy for the two of them when they finally married; I really was. Your mother looked much happier with him than she was when she was with Rotti. What only worried me was what he could do to the both of them because of it. As for me, I..."

"What is it?"

She received no answer; the latter remained silent as anxiety became blatant on her face.

"What's wrong?"

"Shilo dear, how exactly did you meet Rotti Largo?" she immediately queried.

"Well, I-I don't know exactly how he did it, but he contacted me. He said he knew my mother that he wanted to meet me at her grave to talk," Shilo explained. "He told me he had my cure."

"He offered to help you?"

Shilo nodded.

"Refuse his offer," Mag warned. "Now that he's seen you he's going to try and persuade you to take his help no matter what. You _must_ refuse him, Shilo. Don't make the same mistake I did."

"But why would I—"

Her eyes widened as she heard the footsteps approaching her room closer and closer. Her father was home.

"You have to hide!" she said in panic.

Neither barely had a chance to get up when the door opened, much to the young girl's dismay.

"Mag," the man spoke coldly, instantly recognizing the woman in his daughter's room.

"How are you, Nathan?" Mag asked guardedly as she rose from her seat, taking a step closer towards him.

At this point Shilo could do nothing but watch the exchange between the two adults in front of her.

"Leave this house now, Mag," he ordered. Though his voice sounded firm, his eyes were obviously uneasy as he looked at her.

"Why did you tell me Shilo died?" demanded the woman.

"Please, Mag..."

"I promised Marni I'd be here for Shilo. Why have you kept her from me, Nate?"

"Don't you have a show tonight? I'm sure you don't want to upset Rotti by showing up late. You know how he is when he gets angry."

"Rotti and his damn opera house can wait. Tell me, Nate, why didn't you tell me Shilo was alive all these years? Since you told me that you barely talked to me anymore."

His patience was running thin. This woman had to leave. She wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place. How she found them and how she got in was the least of his concerns. He needed to keep Shilo safe.

Without giving Mag another chance to speak, he forced her out of the room, down the stairs, and out the door, ignoring his daughter's protests in the process. When the woman was finally out of sight he asked his daughter why she had let the woman in the house when clearly, her instructions were not to let strangers enter. She only responded with another question, asking him why he hadn't told her about her godmother.

"It isn't safe for you to see people," he simply replied.

She didn't buy a single word of it. She wanted answers, and that didn't answer her question at all. She wanted to know the truth.

"Go to sleep, Shi. You need your rest," her father insisted, silencing her protests and finally obliging to his orders.

Nathan Wallace sighed in disbelief as he left the room. He couldn't risk Rotti laying a hand on his daughter. Now that Mag knew about Shilo who knows what could happen next? He had to protect his daughter at all costs. She was all he had left. He couldn't lose another loved one in his life.


	4. Insomnia

**A/N: **So sorry for not updating for long! I was going to do it last night but there was a power outage during the typhoon in our area...SORRY! Well, hope you enjoy this chapter, and tell me what you think after you read, okay? Thank you for your patience :)

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><p><strong>IV. Insomnia<strong>

It shouldn't be a surprise to her. She expected it to happen all along, for Nathan to drag her out of his house. After all, it was he that kept her own goddaughter's existence from her, was it not? It shouldn't bother her, yet after that night she could barely get a wink of sleep. It hurt to see him like that; for him to treat her that way, as though they never knew each other at all. All her life she had known him as her best friend. All her life, they kept no secrets from each other. It made her wonder why he would keep Shilo from her. _Her_. He understood if he was keeping her away from Rotti and the rest of the Largos – they were the most despicable people that ever existed – but her? What harm could she possibly do to the child?

Unable to sleep once more she decided she would go out tonight to visit Marni's grave. She hadn't any performances for tomorrow anyway. Rotti was feeling a little benevolent and decided to give her a two-week break before performing again. He didn't want to overwork the voice that keeps his consumers buying his products, he said. If her voice was to be ruined, he'd have no one to replace her (as much as he loved his daughter, the girl was unworthy of "Voice of GeneCo" title, he told her. Her voice was horrible, but he never had the heart to tell her that).

The graveyard was only three blocks away from her house. She decided she would walk instead of calling her driver at this time of night. The man needed his rest too, she thought. Changing out of her nightgown, she decided to put on a pair of baggy jeans, a red shirt, and a black hoodie. Her long hair, which was usually carefully styled, she kept tied in a loose ponytail. It would piss Rotti off if he ever saw her like this, but who was he to care? It wasn't like she was going out to perform in front of a huge audience. Besides, it was the middle of the night. Everyone was asleep (except perhaps, the zydrate zombies that lazily roamed alley ways at all times). No one would notice her.

Finding no one around in the graveyard when she arrived there, she thought it was safe to enter the mausoleum and speak to the one whom she hasn't visited in quite a long while. As she opened the door, however, it surprised her to find her goddaughter present in the room as well, sitting in one corner. On her lap lay a book while in one hand she held a half-eaten sandwich.

"Shouldn't you be up in your room sleeping?" she asked the girl as she closed the door behind her.

"I'm always in my room. I'm not allowed to go outside remember?" she replied.

"It's late, Shi. A girl like you needs rest."

"That's what Dad always says. But what about you? What brings you here?"

She sat herself next to the girl as she placed the bouquet of hyacinths and roses on the tomb.

"I can't sleep," she told her. "Thoughts keep coming in my mind and they won't leave me alone. Then again, they never do."

"What kinds of thoughts?"

Mag smiled internally. It surprised her how the girl could be so clever and so curious and the same time.

"You, your parents, Rotti...and my foolishness. Mistakes that I can never reverse," she said, her voice trailing off.

_I never should've accepted his help. I shouldn't have let him get the best of me..._

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Rotti Largo watched in amusement as he watched a repossession take place on the screen in his office. Even after all these years it still perplexed him how people can be so stupid. Did they honestly think they can escape him? Did they think they could trick him with their silly little tactics? This man was the best one yet. He hid himself in a trash bin, thinking the repo men wouldn't find him there. What an idiot!

He was Rotti Largo, for Christ's sake! He was this country's king. No one will ever be as clever as him – not even his own children, unfortunately. His sons were complete imbeciles. His daughter was a dirty slut. None of them were worthy of his genetics, his company, his kingdom. When his death comes they shall inherit nothing. Instead, he shall give it to the girl – Nathan Wallace's daughter.

That damn Nathan. He shouldn't have stolen Marni from him. He shouldn't have tested him. He wouldn't have been in this situation if he hadn't stolen Marni, and Shilo would've been his. Recently the girl has been ignoring his calls. Recently she's been avoiding him. He had a feeling it had something to do with her father, but not to worry – he will get to the girl eventually. The girl shall be his to take. She shall inherit GeneCo. She shall become GeneCo's property.

Rotti Largo will get her eventually. He always gets what he wants—_always_.

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"You told me you'd made a mistake when you met Rotti," Shilo asked her godmother. "You told me to stay away from him. What happened then?"

Mag sighed, not wanting to relive the memories; it pained her enough to have them haunt her every night. But since the girl was facing the same situation, she decided to tell her story to the girl anyway. She didn't want her making the same mistake.

"Rotti told me he would help me gain sight if I sang for his company. He told me I had a beautiful voice. He said if I'd become the Voice of GeneCo then he'd help me see, free of charge. It seemed like a good exchange back then. I was going to fulfill my dreams of becoming a professional singer, _and _be able to see. It wasn't years after that that I discovered I'd become his slave. I was to answer to his every call, do everything he'd tell me to do, sing every song he'd asked me to sing. He alienated me from my own friends, especially after your mother married your father. I wasn't allowed to go outside unless I had a performance or had to attend a costume fitting. If I wanted to see your mother or your father, I'd have to sneak out in the middle of the night so he wouldn't catch me, only to be punished the morning after. Believe me, Shilo, you don't want to deal with someone like Rotti Largo," she explained.

"Why don't you just quit?" the girl asked. It only seemed ethical. If she didn't like Rotti, why can't she just quit her job and move on?

"Quit? I've tried, dear. There's no way I can break free from his hold. If I quit he'd send a repo man for my eyes. Not that I'd mind of course—I'd rather kill myself than serve _him_. I'd have done it weeks ago, if I hadn't met you. My life may be a living hell, but at least I now have someone to live for."

She smiled warmly at the girl. Pulling her in a loose embrace, she told her, "I haven't met you for long, but I already love you. I don't know what I'd do if something bad ever happens to you. I wish I could've been with you all these years."

The singer sighed, and before the girl even had a chance to speak she said, "you should sleep now, Shi. Your father might come to check on you soon."

The girl simply nodded, saying nothing to counter her statement, nothing in protest. The woman kissed her goddaughter's forehead before leaving the mausoleum. Now that she's seen the girl, she was certain she would finally sleep in peace – something she had not felt in a long time.


	5. Amusement

**A/N: **I'm back! I am _terribly, terribly_ sorry for not updating for so long. I've just moved to another country for college, so I've been pretty busy BUT I finally found time to update, WOO! I hope you enjoy this update. And don't worry – the conversation between Mag and Nathan on this matter will come VERY VERY soon (and by that, I mean REALLY soon. Like, the-next-chapter soon). Remember to tell me what you think, okay? Thanks in advance, and I am so sorry again for such a long delay.

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><p><strong>V. Amusement<strong>

He took pleasure out of other people's suffering. He laughed at other people's idiocy. He loved it when people tried to run away from his repo men, thinking they could actually _save_ themselves. He loved watching them scream in pain as his repo men cut open his victims. Their cries were music to his ears. Who knew watching people's stupidity could be so beautiful? Why, if he had the strength to do it himself, he would. How brilliant it would be to rip apart the human flesh piece by piece! Why—he'd give anything just to repossess those organs himself. In truth, he could care less about those organs. It was people that gave him joy. He did it all because of them. Indeed, there was nothing more beautiful than watching Death take his victims by surprise.

It wasn't just repossessions that he enjoyed watching though. Often the joy of watching it was short-lived; his repo men usually killed their victims fast in order to get the job done. What kept him going was seeing two of his particular employees suffer in his hands. In times when watching repossessions became boring, they were there to keep him amused. They were practically his puppets; with a snap of his fingers they would do whatever it was he would tell them to do—and they hated every single bit of it. The best part? They could do nothing about it. They needed him. But him? He was just there for the show.

Nathan felt absolutely devastated the night his dear Marni died in his hands. During the final weeks of her third trimester she had contracted an unknown blood disease. Nathan thought he had the perfect cure—and he probably did. There was just one tiny mistake with it – one tiny mistake that left his precious wife dying in his arms. Poor thing, that daft Mr. Wallace, murdering his wife by accident! How tragic...

Ha! If only he was smart enough to realize a Gentern had replaced one of his ingredients – his key element, in fact – with poison: five-hundred milligrams of arsenic. Why, one-hundred would have been more than enough to kill a single human! He just wanted to make sure she would suffer worse. She deserved it anyway; she never should have left him in the first place.

She was a clever woman. She had beauty, she had substance, she had intelligence. She just made foolish choices. Leaving him was one of them. If she'd never left him, perhaps he would've treated her dear little blind friend nicer. If she'd never left him, she wouldn't have had to suffer a horrible fate. If she had been smart enough, she wouldn't have died. And as for Nathan, her imbecile of a husband, he never should have stolen Marni from him. He didn't even bother to suspect his own boss. He was too guilty to realize it wasn't his fault. Poor thing..._what an idiot. _

Perhaps Marni's departure was for the best. After all, if she hadn't left, where else would he be able to get such wonderful entertainment? Not in the theatres, that's for sure!

He could still remember Mag's reaction to her goddaughter's "death" clearly. It was a _classic_! He thought he'd seen the best of her when he she found out her contract had been signed in blood. He thought he'd made her life miserable enough when she found out that even in her own home she had no freedom. He thought she had suffered enough when he heard her pleas for help, saw her in tears of extreme pain whenever his sons (and sometimes even his daughter) tortured her and punished her in their own little ways. But when he saw those tears fall from her face the moment she heard the news, the way she'd thrown such a great fit that she almost hurt herself – oh, Rotti could barely contain himself! And to think Nathan had told her the only hours before a performance. If only the woman wasn't such a professional, it would've been even better. But no matter – seeing her suffer each day, knowing there was no escape from her cage of many rooms was enough.

The world was indeed full of idiots. But how could he stay mad at them when watching them was so pleasing to the eye?

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Dead.

Arthur Compton was dead. His family was dead too, no doubt about it.

At first he couldn't believe it – wasn't Daniels supposed to help them escape? How had this happened? "I've been in this business longer than you have," he said. "It's a risk I'm willing to take," he said. Now _he_ was going to get it. The minute he gets discovered, Rhett Daniels was bound to be Rotti's next target.

It was quite odd, though – when the news of Compton's death circulated around the tower, he seemed to disregard every bit of information that was spoken. It was as though he didn't even care. Shouldn't he be the one to feel guilty of all people? His plan to help the man escape with his family failed drastically. He had been unsuccessful, and soon he was bound to get found out. Out of all people, shouldn't he be the one worrying?

There was no escape in the hands of Rotti Largo – no way out of Sanitarium Island; no way out of the country. If Rhett Daniels had indeed helped other people leave in the past, why hadn't he left to save himself? For a man as wise and as intelligent as him, he should know better than to stay.

_Compton is dead. Daniels is going to be next..._

Yet as Nathan observed the old repo man from the other side of the room, his expression showed no sign of remorse; no sign of worry.

"Shouldn't it be time for you to leave? You've failed; Compton's gone," he said to the man.

The latter's expression remained indecipherable. "He is, isn't he?" he simply answered nonchalantly.

"You're not worried?"

"I never fail, Wallace. Everything went perfectly as planned. There's nothing for me to worry about."


	6. A Plan

**A/N: **I am SO SORRY to have kept you waiting this long for an update. I've been so busy with studying, my job, and other stuff. I may work in an environment with a bunch of computers, but it's so hard to think with a bunch of people crowding me all the time...not to mention it's noisy! Anyway, other than that, my laptop's been busted so I haven't been able to write as much as I'd like so I hope you guys can just bear with me. I won't abandon this story, I promise. I love Mag and Nathan too much to do that! Oh, and someone mentioned the Sweeney Todd stuff...honestly I didn't notice that until you pointed it out. Totally unintentional. I guess I've been watching/reading/singing it too much...yes, _singing_. Unfortunately my voice is far too high and light to play Mrs. Lovett OR the Beggar Woman so instead I got stuck with Johanna, the idiot damsel-in-distress. I really hate that character. I mean really...if she knew where the key was, why didn't she just get outta there in the first place instead of waiting for that stalker guy to rescue her who by the way would've totally failed if it wasn't for Todd? Ugh. I really wanted her to die. Hopefully I can get my lower range to become more mature so I won't have to sound like Jayne Wisener or Hayley Westenra all the time =_= I mean, don't get me wrong-they have good voices, but ugh! Do I always have to get the goody-goody parts in musicals? Any lyric sopranos know how to make the lower range sound more mature? PLEASE TELL ME! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and see you in the next update!

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><p><strong>VI. A Plan <strong>

_"Everything went perfectly as planned..."_

Arthur Compton was safe. He escaped, along with his family. None of them were dead like everyone else had said. They had fled without the knowledge of GeneCo's tyrannical leader. He didn't know how they'd managed to do it. He didn't know they managed to make people think they were dead...but they were safe.

It was indeed a huge risk for both Compton and Daniels. They both would have died if Rotti had found out at any time. And Daniels, being the mastermind, probably would have had to endure a worse punishment. A noble act it was, trying to help others save themselves from GeneCo's hold. Noble, but perilous.

And now that Arthur Compton and his family had managed to escape, now that they were safe, perhaps _he_ had a chance to achieve asylum as well. Perhaps, with the help of Rhett Daniels he would be able to take his Shilo away. They could go anywhere – anywhere but here. They too would be safe. They too shall have salvation. _She_ will have salvation. As for Mag...

Mag had been his best friend since they were children. He had been her first friend since she arrived at Sanitarium Island. Since the day he met her he had promised her the gift of sight; instead, he'd given her a curse. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have to be Rotti's little songbird, his little slave. If it weren't for him, Mag would have been a free soul. Blind still, perhaps, but free from Rotti's hold.

It was all _his_ fault. She wouldn't be suffering if it weren't for him. Not only had he made her Rotti's slave; he had also lied to her. But that wasn't him now, was it? Rotti made him do that. He wouldn't have robbed her of her own goddaughter. After all, it was his idea in the first place. Then again, if he hadn't killed his own wife he wouldn't have had to.

It was all his fault. His fault—but he still had a chance to fix it. If Daniels agrees to help him abscond he could have a chance to save her too, and she would be with Shilo. They would be together, the three of them. They would be safe.

"Nathan?"

"Do you have any plans this evening?"

"I don't." She paused for a moment and finally, "Why?"

"I need you to meet with me tonight. Do you still remember that hill in the middle of the woods five blocks from the GeneCo tower?"

If he was going to talk to her, they needed to do it somewhere secluded – somewhere safe. The alleyway near the Genetic Opera at Sanitarium Square would have sufficed, but at this time of night, it was probably filled with Zydrate addicts. He couldn't risk putting her in that kind of environment.

"Meet me there in exactly one hour. I need to discuss something with you."

As he hung up the phone, he couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of hope when he heard her voice. He still had a chance. He could take her away and she would be with Shilo. They would be safe. They would all be safe. He just needed her agreement.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"You know, for a blind girl you're sure good at finding me," said a voice ahead of her as she approached her friend.

"You go here all the time. You're not exactly one who's hard to find," she joked with a smile as she sat on the grass beside him.

"I swear, Maggie—in a few weeks when I graduate, I'm going to make sure you'll finally see," he told her, gently stroking her hair as her head rested on his lap.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Nate? You don't need to do that for me. I'm doing fine; I've lived for nineteen years blind and I can do that for the rest of my life. You don't have to worry about me," she assured him. "Besides, you should be proud of me. I'm the first blind opera singer in history," she added lightheartedly.

"No you're not. There's that old blind tenor from Italy. You had to sing a lot of his songs, remember?" he countered.

"Oh, of course—the great Andrea Bocelli. But he's a man. I'm a woman. He doesn't count!"

Nathan chuckled and sighed, going along with his friend. "Of course he doesn't, Maggie. Anything you say."

She raised her hand to slap him on the cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked, feigning offense.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she shot at him accusingly.

"Nothing!"

"Hmph! Cheeky..."

"Really!"

"Yes, of course. _Anything you say_, Nathan."

"Mag?"

Her thoughts were immediately interrupted by the sound of a familiar voice. As soon as she turned her head, she saw him approaching her. Unlike before, however, he didn't stand right beside her; he kept his distance as though she was a woman whom he'd never seen before. Time has definitely changed him. He used to be so clever, so youthful. Now...now she didn't even know him anymore. Seventeen years of grieving can surely change a man.

"You used to be the one coming here for me. Now I'm the one coming here to you," he said, looking at the view of the city lights ahead of them.

"This place was mine first, you know," she told him as she too looked at the same scenery.

"I beg to differ—I'd been coming here even before you came in this city. This was _my_ territory. I just shared it with you," he corrected, suppressing a laugh.

"How was I supposed to know someone else came in this exact spot for the same reason of wanting to be alone?" she retorted.

It surprised her and relieved her at the same time, how they managed to humor each other despite the incident at his house only a week ago. At least neither of them had to worry about any uneasiness in meeting each other for the first (technically second, but he'd thrown her out that time) time in seventeen years.

"I missed you, you know. I was wrong to have shut you out," he said.

"Then why did you? You wouldn't have had to if you'd told me the truth about Shilo."

Her voice was gentle unlike the first time she had asked him the same question, yet it still hurt him. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't have had to suffer as much.

"Knowing about Shilo's existence would have been the only thing to keep me sane through all the pain that those Largos put me through. Why did you keep her from me?"

"I'm sorry," he said. "I had no choice."

"No choice? Nathan, did you honestly think I would hurt her? You know me better than that!" she snapped, making him feel even guiltier.

"I had to do it, Mag. Rotti told me he would take Shilo and kill you if I didn't! I couldn't let him hurt either of you!" he explained to her in a raised voice, almost as though he was yelling. He didn't want to say it that way, but he had to get her attention.

"I've already lost Marni. I didn't want to lose Shilo or you," he further added, his voice going back to its normal volume. "It was never my intention to hurt you, Mag. Believe me. I just couldn't let him do you any harm. I'm sorry."

"Nathan, I-I..." for the first time, Magdalene DeFoe was at a loss of words. Why hadn't she thought of it this way before? Everything made sense now—she should've known better! All this was of Rotti's doing. He did it to make her suffer – to make Nathan suffer. Nathan wouldn't have kept Shilo from her if he had the choice! She knew him better than that.

"I'm taking Shilo away," he told her. "We're leaving this place, and I want you to come with us."

"What? Nathan, have you gone mad? There's no way out of here!"

"I know someone who can help us. We can get out of here, Mag. I know we can," he insisted.

"Nathan, that's exactly what Remy's husband tried to do. Do you know what happened to them?"

"Compton's not dead, Mag. They just _think_ he's dead."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, confused.

"I saw that too; it wasn't Compton. Trust me, Mag. We can leave this place!"

"Nathan, it's too dangerous. Rotti's guards have their eyes on me at all times. There's no way I can leave without them knowing."

"It's a risk I'm willing to take."

The soprano sighed at her companion's insistence. She understood his desire to protect his daughter, his detestation of the city; she too wanted to leave. Even if Remy Compton's family had indeed left successfully as he was telling her now, they had a slim chance of doing the same thing. Perhaps they would be able to leave on their own, but with her by their side they would only be placed in greater peril. She couldn't have them risk their own lives for her own safety.

"Nathan, I—I can't," she finally decided. "Leave this place with your daughter. The two of you can go. I can't have you risking your own safety for me."

"Nonsense, Mag. We can find a way—"

"People will recognize me from a mile away! Do you really think you'd succeed in your plan with me hanging around?" She paused for a moment, waiting for an answer. When no verbal response came from him, she continued, "I want to go with you, Nathan. You have no idea how much I want to leave this place, but you know I can't. I'm being watched like a hawk."

For a few moments, the silence between them continued as they stared at the scenery ahead; the only sound that could be heard was the occasional chirping of the crickets and the howling wind.

"I'm going to talk to Daniels tomorrow. I'm sure he can arrange a solution," he told her.

"Nate..."

"We'll meet here again in three days. By then we will have figured out a way to get us out."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he turned his back to her and started walking away. Before leaving her completely, he said, "We're not leaving without you, Mag. _I mean it_."


	7. A Favor

**A/N: **Oh, I feel so guilty! I'd like to apologize for not writing for so long. I had a huge writer's block on Repo since I haven't watched it for so long and I've been busy with school, and other stories. I'm working on the next chapter so I hope my readers are still here. Trust that I will never abandon this story. As I said in an earlier chapter, I love Mag and Nathan too much to do that. Enjoy this chapter, everyone! I hope you like it :)

* * *

><p><strong>Protective<strong>

She wondered what might have possessed him to think of such an unimaginable notion. It was almost delusional, in fact. How were they supposed to escape the island when Rotti's eyes were on them the whole time? Knowing Rotti, he probably had security cameras all over Nathan's house too without the man's knowledge. Getting away from Sanitarium Island was an impossible task. She knew it. _He_ knew it. From the way his voice sounded though, it seemed like he had forgotten that at the moment.

The Comptons had escaped, he told her. It was probably a lucky shot. No one could ever get passed Rotti Largo's radar. There was very little chance they would get as lucky themselves – not with _her _around at least. He would never leave without her though; he had reiterated it multiple times during their meeting. She had to find a way to convince him that taking her with him was too much of a hazard to Shilo and him. She couldn't risk having them killed just because of her. She would rather die than have them executed just because of her.

It was a risk he was willing to take – a risk that was certainly not worth taking; not if she would lose two lives because of it.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Daniels," Nathan called the older repo man in a whisper as the man exited from the GeneCo building. Even after duty hours, he knew he had to be careful. Rotti's cameras could be anywhere, and it could be watching them. He couldn't take any chances, especially not this time.

"I need your help," said Nathan immediately, not wanting to waste any time and risk being discovered. "I want to get my daughter away from this place; it isn't safe."

The old Brit smirked, which immediately sparked uneasiness in the former.

"So you've finally come to your senses? Good," said Daniels, which reassured him instantly. "It's about time you decided to get your family out of here. It definitely isn't ideal for her to spend the rest of her life here, especially with her condition. I'd be glad to help, Wallace."

Nathan smiled and let out a sigh of relief, thanking his fellow repo man for granting him the help he needed.

"I'll arrange everything that needs to be done; for the time being, just keep your daughter and yourself safe from Rotti's bad side. I'll notify you when everything's ready."

"Thank you, Daniels," he told the man gratefully. "But if it isn't any trouble, it's not just my daughter whom I am going to take with me."

"Oh?"

"I'd like to take Mag with us, also."

An astonished expression immediately appeared on the old repo man's face.

"Mag, As in _Blind Mag_? Correct me if I'm wrong, but is this woman Magdalene DeFoe?"

Nathan let out a chuckle.

"Well, yes, of course. Is there any other Mag that you and I both know?" he asked jokingly.

Richard Daniels sighed, growing uneasy.

"Very well, then," he finally told the younger repo man after a few moments. "Give me about three weeks to prepare. Everything should be ready by then."

Nathan gave a nod in response before the older repo man left.

At last! At last, they will finally be able to leave this forsaken place. They can finally break free from Rotti's hold. They will be safe. Shilo and Mag will be safe, and he will no longer have to worry about keeping Shilo inside all the time.

Oh, how grand! Freedom was finally within arm's reach. Now all he had to do was wait…


End file.
